Demons of the Past
by Midnight1234
Summary: Ever since an accident when Natsu was seven, he has stayed in the same body for ten years. Now seventeen Natsu is a demon hunter with the first seven years of his life erased from unknown causes but lives a somewhat normal life hunting down demons with his friends under the Master, but something from his missing past comes up and everything takes a turn for the worst.
1. Woman With White

**Hiya! I had this great idea which I kinda got from a new anime I've been watching, but different. I'm not really great at making songs up so I apologize for the badly written one in here! I tried my best to make it decent! I really hope you like it! Please leave a review and favorite! Farewell and Enjoy!**

**Me No Own Fairy Tail**

**-Let there be midnight**

* * *

**Woman With White**

Natsumi took in a deep shuddering breath as he looked from left to right in the dark forest, dark charcoal eyes filled with fear as he shuddered unconsciously.

"Zeref-nii!" his high pitched voice shouted as tears filled the corners of the seven-year-olds eyes. He whimpered slightly in fear, shivering as if from the cold but continued on in search for his fourteen-year-old brother. "Zeref-nii!" he shouted once more through the darkness, hoping to hear some hint of his older brother's voice calling his name back, but he was only met with disappointing silence as nothing came back to him, just the eerie hooting of a nearby owl.

Natsumi looked down, stopping as tears leaked from his eyes and onto his pale bruised cheeks. Taking a deep shuddering breath of cold night air, Natsumi rushed forward, his squeaky voice calling the name of his brother as he ran faster and faster, not minding the branches the scratched at him leaving small cuts for his mind was too occupied with thoughts of finding Zeref.

Before Natsumi could see what was in front of him, a root was jutted out in front of him, knocking him down and making him tumble off the cliff he had yet to see in the dangerous forest. He yelped as his head connected with a rock only to fall unconscious and he knew nothing more of his fall down the steep cliff.

* * *

Eyes fluttered slowly open with a painful moan, deep charcoal eyes staring up at the dark starlit sky. Natsumi's body hurt everywhere and there was a painful throbbing in his head that made him want to scream but his throat felt too raw for him to use it to such extent.

"W-where am I…?" he rasped out, trying to look about him, unable to use his body as the pain was too much.

"Child," came a soft song like voice of a woman. Natsumi turned his head in the direction the voice came from to see a beautiful woman with flowing white hair and snow blue eyes looking down at him with a slight frown.

"Miss…" he croaked, smiling painfully. "Do—do you kn-know… where Zeref-nii is…? P-papa is mad at him a-again…" The beautiful woman frowned deeper, a mixture of emotions floating in her snow blue eyes.

"You will not live much longer, you have bled too much to survive." she remarked suddenly, making Natsumi frown and look back up at the sky.

"I… I'm not—not g-going to… die Miss, I h-have to look for… Zeref-nii… Papa w-will be mad if—if he's not home so-soon." Natsumi replied solemnly.

"What's your wish?" He looked at her a little startled from the change of subject, but smiled softly anyway.

"I—I wish Zeref-nii a-and Onee-sama and P-Papa get al-along soon. E-ever since Mommy die-died when I was little, Zer—ef-nii said Papa an-and Onee-sama have ne-never been the same… and that—that's why they h-hurt me and Z-Zeref-nii…" he replied softly.

The woman's eyes looked at the dying child in sadness, her heart aching to give him another life he deserved, but she knew she could not take this child away and turn back time for him. It was impossible even for such a magical creature like her. There was really only one thing she could do, but even that might put danger to the child's life when he turns to the age of eighteen, but something about this child compelled her to do so. She shook away her doubt and smiled softly knowing it must be done and that this beautiful child would soon fine peace and happiness. She didn't even care about the dangerous price she would have to pay; she just wanted to give this sweet little boy another chance at life and happiness.

"Would you like to live to see your Zeref-nii?" she asked sweetly, stroking the child's soft abnormal pink hair. Natsumi looked up at her with hope glittering in his eyes that made her shiver unconsciously at the slowly dying light inside.

"O—of course!" he croaked without hesitation. She stopped petting his soft hair and moved her hand down to hold the tiny bloody one in hers.

"It comes with a price you have to pay later, are you willing to pay the price no matter what?" she asked giving the hand a slight squeeze. Natsumi nodded sluggishly as his eyelids began to droop.

"O-of… course… anything for… Z-Zeref-nii…" he whispered.

"Then live, Child of the Earth." she whispered as soft blue light illuminated her and Natsumi. The last thing Natsumi saw before his world went dark once more was the light glowing around them and those beautiful blue eyes that made him relax and feel safe under them.

"Go to sleep." she breathed as his eyes closed and the light around them dulled as she disappeared, a soft song echoing through the night, Natsumi's injuries sealing and disappearing as the lullaby went on.

'_Oh, may the clock turn a verse back in time._

_May time slow to a halt_

_And you never grow._

_As the wind soothes the heart_

_And fire warms your soul,_

_I'll be here to watch over you for eternity._

_As the clock turns a verse back in time,_

_And may time slow to a halt_

_As innocents stays_

_And may the children of the earth fall into a deep slumber,_

_The clock turned back in time.'_

* * *

**Ten Years Later**

"Stop treating me like a child!" Natsu screamed in annoyance as he glared at Gray.

"You do know you look like a seven-year-old." remarked the nineteen-year-old with crossed arms. Natsu growled darkly at Gray, dark charcoal eyes flaring up in anger.

"I'm seventeen for the last time!" he shouted in anger, throwing weak fist at Gray's stomach. Gray chuckled ruffling Natsu's soft pink hair.

"Sure doesn't look like that." he teased with a smirk. Natsu—out of anger—punched Gray right where it counts, making the older male drop to the ground in pain. "You little brat!" Gray wheezed out in anger as Natsu stood above him smiling in triumph with crossed arms.

"Serves you right!" he mocked, sticking his tongue out at him. Gray growled in anger, about to get up only to freeze at seeing Erza shoot him a glare that just said try-it-and-lets-see-where-you-end-up.

"Stop fooling around you two." Lucy sighed as she slumped against a store's wall. "We're supposed to be finding that demon that Master sent us to hunt." Erza nodded her head in agreement. Natsu stuck his nose up in annoyance.

"It's just a low class demon anyway! It's easy to find, right Happy?" Natsu asked looking down at the blue cat that sat at his feet.

"Aye sir! I can sniff out any kind of demon!" Happy smiled brightly. Natsu smiled back, looking up at Erza and Lucy.

"See! All we have to do is wait for that demon to show its furry little ass and Happy can sniff it out, and BAM! That demon is smoked!" Gray raised an eyebrow at Natsu's thought up plan as he stood up, wincing in slight pain as he shuffled his weight onto the opposite leg.

"You shouldn't be saying such foul language with such a sweet innocent-like voice, you know?" Gray commented making a tick mark appear on Natsu's forehead.

"FOR THE LAST TIME I'M SEVENTEEN!" he shrieked only to make Gray laugh.

"Sure you are." the older boy teased. Natsu flared his nostrils in anger, glaring at Gray furiously.

"If I wasn't stuck in this body I would so kick your ass right now!" he growled, Erza hitting him on the top of his head. "Ow! What was that for?" He turned around to lightly glare at the scarlet haired woman who looked at him sternly.

"Gray's right. Even if you are seventeen, your appearance is seven so don't cuss or we'll draw attention to us." she scolded. Natsu looked away with a huff.

"Oh so demon hunters don't draw too much attention as it is?" he asked sarcastically, earning another hit on the hit on the head. "Ow! Would you quite that?"

"Not until you act more your age than your appearance." she replied sharply. Natsu rolled his eyes as Happy hopped on top of his pink messy hair, still grinning happily.

"Whatever. I'm going to take a walk around and see what kind of food they have." he grumbled as he walked away from the three, Erza and Lucy sighing as Gray just shook his head in annoyance.

"Brat." Gray muttered under his breath as the three of them walked away in the opposite direction to gather some information.

Natsu turned his head slightly to see that the rest of the group headed in the opposite direction, making his tense shoulders droop a little.

"Nee Natsu, you didn't have to be so short with them." Happy remarked. Natsu stuffed his hands in his pockets as he weaved his way around people.

"It's not my fault that they don't treat me my age." Natsu grumbled back in reply.

"It's kinda hard to treat someone like a seventeen-year-old when they look seven, don't you think?" The blue cat chirped, tilting his head to the side. Natsu looked to the side feeling some of his irritation against his three friends disappear.

"Yeah, you're right Happy, I guess it is. But it's almost my eighteenth birthday, I just wish they treated me more like an adult then a child." he sighed in defeat as he suddenly took some interest in the shops around him.

"That doesn't really give you a reason to be short with them. It's not really like to you to act like that Natsu. Is something bothering you?" Natsu didn't respond to Happy, his shoulders tensing up slightly. "Natsu?" Happy asked thinking the pinkette didn't hear him.

"I just feel on edge is all." he replied quietly. "I just need to take a hot bath and I'll be back to normal." Natsu reassured the cat who smiled happily on his head.

"Yay!" Happy chirped as Natsu smiled in responds.

"I heard there was a great ramen store nearby, want to try it out Happy?" Natsu asked excitedly, trying to catch a glimpse of blue on top of his head. Happy nodded, getting as excited as Natsu.

"Of course!" And with that, Natsu ran towards the nearest ramen shop with a grin.


	2. The Little Thief

**Hiya! Since I got some nice reviews I decided to update earlier than planned! And I mean way earlier than planned! Also, you were right… I kinda got this idea from Hakkenden… For those who are confused about Natsu's age, he is seventeen and about to turn eighteen, he is also stuck in a body of a seven-year-old. Thank you for those who reviewed, favorite, and followed! Please leave a review and favorite! Farewell and Enjoy!**

**Me No Own Fairy Tail**

**-Let there be midnight**

* * *

**The Little Thief**

"Ah! Wasn't that a good ramen shop Happy?" Natsu asked as he slung his arms behind his head grinning with content. Happy nodded as he finished the last bite of his fish, rubbing his tiny little belly.

"Uh-huh! We haven't eaten like that in a long time, nee Natsu?" he remarked. Natsu nodded in agreement as they casually strolled the streets with Happy sitting on top of his head lazily.

"Hey! Give that back you little brat!" a voice shouted, startling the two as they looked over to see a boy around ten years of age dodge a salesman with a large steaming loaf of bread in his hands. He had dark red brownish short hair that stuck up everywhere and misty blue eyes.

Natsu stopped as he watched the scene play before him, the boy dodging every obstacle in his way with the salesman trying desperately to catch up to him, but failing miserably as he kept stumbling over fallen barrels and merchandise from other street stores that lined up the outside market.

"Natsu." Happy whispered to the short boy, the pinkette nodding, understanding what Happy was telling him to do as he took off after the red haired boy in a sprint. After a few moments the red haired boy lost the salesman and quickly ducked into a dark alleyway, followed quickly by Natsu.

"Oi!" Natsu called out, waving a bit. Startled, the boy jumped and whirled around, holding the lough of bread close to his chest as he took a small step back, narrowing his eyes at Natsu. "It's not nice to steal you know?" Natsu said as he grinned at the boy who looked at him suspiciously. "I'm Natsu, who're you?"

"Shou." he replied shortly, narrowing his eyes at Natsu.

"Hmmm, that's a cool name." the pinkette complimented as he took a few steps closer to Shou, only for the red head to back away with the exact number of steps. Shou stayed silent with the loaf of bread held tightly to his chest as he stared at Natsu, studying him until his eyes caught sight of Happy on his head. Natsu noticed where Shou's gaze led to and smiled a little as he took Happy from his head and held the little blue cat loosely to his chest. "This is Happy by the way." Natsu introduced. Happy meowed like a cat, not wanting to creep out Shou if he talked.

"Why's he blue?" Shou asked sharply, eyes never leaving the blue cat in Natsu's arms. Natsu shrugged in responds, Happy meowing once more.

"Why is your hair red?" he shot back lazily. Shou only strengthened his glare and said no more as his shoulders tensed up, ready to fight Natsu if needed he to. It didn't matter in Shou's mind if he was going to fight a seven-year-old, if he had to do it, he had to do it.

"Why'd you steal that loaf of bread?" Natsu changed the topic knowing they weren't getting anywhere with just making small talk.

"What's it to you?" The pinkette's smile vanished immediately only to be replaced by a frown as he let Happy out of his arms.

"Someone makes a living off of that you know." Natsu said a matter-of-factly, Happy meowing in agreement. Shou smirked as an idea popped in his head.

"Uh? Is that so?" he asked as he grabbed the loaf with one hand and took a large bite out of it, smiling the whole time as he slowly chewed the huge bite in his mouth. "Dish ish weawy wood!" _(This is really good!)_ A tick mark formed on Natsu's forehead from annoyance; bringing one of his hands in front of his chest and clenched it in a tight fist as if it was Shou's head in his fist being smashed.

"Why you!" Natsu growled. Shou finished the bite with a gulp, sighing happily as he did so, letting the hand that held the rest of the warm bread in fall at his side.

"Why're you getting so mad? It isn't your bread, now is it?" Shou mocked with a sly grin. A dark aura surrounded Natsu as he shook from being so tense. Happy sweetdropped knowing that Natsu hated being mocked more than anything, well… right after vehicles that is since the boy got terribly sick on them.

"You're doing this just to annoy me aren't you?" Natsu asked darkly, his bangs shadowing his eyes.

"So what if I am?" Shou teased as he took another bite from the bread and chewed on it slowly like he did the first time. "Why wouwd a wittle bwat wike wou cawe?" _(Why would a little brat like you care?) _Shou asked as he tilted his head and swallowed, burping a little.

"Oh, it's not the bread that I care about, it's being treated like a little kid that just irks me." he replied in a voice that shook with anger. Shou laughed at Natsu loudly, almost dropping the bread as he did so.

"You're talking as if you're older than me!" Shou laughed. "But you're not! You're only a little shrimp!" Natsu's head shot up, eyes glowing with rage as an evil smile crept onto his lips.

"Happy I think I'm going to kill a little kid today." Natsu growl stopped Shou from his laughing only for the ten-year-old to sweat nervously as a shiver of fear crept down his spine at seeing such a look on a young boys face.

"Sc-scary…" he muttered as all color drained from his face completely.

"Ne Natsu, I think you over did it." Happy commented quietly enough for only Natsu to hear. Natsu looked a little confused until he saw Shou faint.

"O-oi!"

* * *

Natsu sighed as he leaned against the wall of the inn him and the others were currently staying at. Lying on his bed was Shou who was still out cold and pale as a sheet with a frown on his face.

Happy had left a while ago saying he was going to find some fish at the outside market leaving Natsu all alone in the inn with the red haired thief.

Sighing, Natsu took a seat on the other bed that belonged to Gray because his was being occupied with a ten-year-old bread thief at the moment. "I hope Gray doesn't come back with the others and run and tell Erza." Natsu muttered under his breath as he leaned back onto the bed, the mattress creaking a little as he did so.

"Where am I?" came a soft voice from Natsu's bed. Natsu looked over at Shou who sat up on the bed and looked around.

"You fainted and I just couldn't have you lying in the middle of a dark alleyway were drunken perverts like to hang." Natsu replied with a shrug as he closed his eyes and relax. Shou looked at Natsu and slung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Where's my bread?" he suddenly asked, catching Natsu off guard.

"Is that all you care about is that bread?" Natsu asked incredulously as his charcoal eyes snapped open to look at Shou in slight bewilderment. Shou only look at his lap with his mouth in a thin line.

"You wouldn't understand." he told Natsu quietly. Natsu only rolled his eyes as he pushed himself up so he was sitting crossed legged, facing the boy.

"Well, you'd be surprised." Natsu replied, scratching the back of his head as Shou looked up at him slightly. "I might understand more things than you might think." Shou opened his mouth to say something only for Gray to open the door and freeze in mid-step as he caught sight of Shou and Natsu.

"Natsu," Gray started out slowly as the petit pinkette looked at him with a raised eyebrow, fear slowly creeping up on him as a thought of Gray running to Erza and telling her about Shou. "who's this?" Gray asked as his eyes reverted to Shou who looked at Gray with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, this is Shou. I caught him stealing bread earlier." Natsu commented as casually as he could. The minute he said that, Shou launched off the bed and attacked Natsu as they both landed on the floor.

"You didn't have to say I was stealin'!" Shou shouted as he attempted to strangle Natsu.

"You didn't have to steal in the first place!" Natsu shouted as he tried to get Shou's hands away from his neck as they rolled about on the floor. Gray sighed tiredly as he turned his head and looked out into the hallway of the inn.

"Erza!" he called as he looked back at the sight with annoyance. "Natsu's brought home a stray… again." The last part was muttered quietly under his breath.

* * *

Natsu and Shou sat on the edge of Natsu's bed, both supporting huge bumps on their heads from Erza hitting them to get them to stop fighting. They both looked down at their laps shamefully as Erza towered over them threateningly.

"W-who's she?" Shou whispered to Natsu, sparing him a slight glance. Natsu shivered a little at the fear of even saying the scary scarlet haired girl's name.

"E-Erza…" he muttered as if it was painful to say.

"She's a monster." Show replied, Natsu nodding his head in agreement.

"A demon." he added, Shou nodding his head in agreement to Natsu. Erza's aura only got darker at hearing the two's comments towards her, making her growl darkly.

"_What was that_?" she asked making Natsu and Shou jump in fear and hug each other tightly as they whimpered.

"N-nothing!" both spluttered out as they hugged the other tighter. Lucy sighed behind Erza, pinching the bridge of her nose as she shook her head at the two of them.

"Natsu can you just tell us who this is before Erza starts ripping off some heads?" Lucy asked him as she put her hands on her hips. Natsu and Shou let go of each other, Natsu scratching his cheek absentmindedly.

"This is Shou." he started off awkwardly. "I met him when me and Happy were just walking around after we went to that ramen shop and he just happened to be stealing bread from an outdoors salesman." Natsu explained, Shou shooting him a short glare.

"I wouldn't call it 'stealing'." he muttered slightly.

"Then what would you call it?" Natsu asked with a roll of his eyes. Just before Shou could explain, he was interrupted once again as Happy flew through the inn's window with a fish in hand.

"Oh…" he immediately said when he caught sight of Erza, Gray, and Lucy standing there with Erza towering over Natsu and Shou threateningly. "Natsu, I think we were caught." Happy said as he dropped on the bed beside Natsu.

"_No_, really? Could you tell me more?" Natsu asked sarcastically as he crossed his arms.

"Sure! Erza seems really irritated too!" Natsu just shook his head and ignored the blue cat's nonsense as did everyone else.

"That doesn't really explain why Shou—is it?—is here." Gray said from where he sat on his bed with a bored expression. Natsu dropped his head with a sweetdrop while Shou started to look really annoyed and narrowed his misty blue eyes.

"Yeah… well about that…" Natsu started shakily. "I kinda scared him to the point of fainting."

"And then I woke up here." Shou finished for Natsu knowing that the pinkette left a tiny part off. "Can I go now?" he asked hopefully as he looked up at Erza who nodded. Shou got up, but not before casting Natsu an annoyed glance, leaving the room.

"Can we get something to eat? I'm hungry." Natsu suddenly blurted out as he fell backwards on the bed, his stomach rumbling.

"Of course," Lucy mumbled as she shook her head. "I expect nothing less of him."

* * *

The sky was dark with night with the small slim moon hanging in the sky, barely covered by clouds that drifted lazily, hiding parts of the moon and stars from view. The streets were quiet and empty, the outside market closed and put away leaving a wide opened space where stalls and people used to stand. The occasional racket from rats and raccoons digging about in garbage cans could be heard along with the quiet meows from tiny kittens feeding off of their mother in a dark alley way.

Suddenly the crunching noise of giant claws scrapping along roofs was heard, breaking the peaceful silence of the night as a deep rumbling growl was heard. A demon around eleven feet tall stood there crouched on a house with its shoulder blades jutted upwards turning into two large black talons. Its eyes were glowing a bright green as its head snapped back and forth as if trying to find a soul to devour, but none was in sight.

"Is that the demon?" Natsu asked Gray from where they hid in the darkness of an alleyway. Slung loosely across Natsu's back was a sword hidden inside a black scabbard, only worn across his back only when he knew he needed it. Gray nodded, fingering his own sword strapped to his side. Erza, Lucy, and Happy were not around them as they hid in another spot near—but father away from Natsu and Gray—the demon.

"Yeah, a high class one." Gray replied quietly back as he slowly drew his sword, the air around them growing cold as he did so. "So be on your best guard." he added to the petit boy who only jerked his head in a nod.

"Do you know what kind of high class demon it is?" Natsu whispered to Gray, both of their eyes never leaving the demon that sniffed the air quiet loudly.

"Not sure. It might be a Kurai Homura, not quite sure." Gray said. A small smile curled on Natsu's lips as he bent down a little.

"Oh, this will be fun." he crowed as he ran out into the open and quickly jumped onto a nearby roof catching the demons attention, Gray following shortly after. Natsu quickly changed roof tops so he was running straight towards the demon, his small hand reaching behind him and grabbing the pommel of his sword and unsheathing it from its scabbard.

"Yo, ugly bastard!" Natsu shouted catching the demons attention as it started running to the small boy. "I got a tasty soul right here for you!" Natsu raised his sword up high, ready to slice the demon as they neared each other only to stop as a familiar head of red hair jumped in front of him, stopping both his and the demons movements. "Shou…?" Natsu whispered confused. Behind him Gray also stopped a few feet away, watching Shou with slight suspicion. Shou looked straight at Natsu with a different kind of annoyance Natsu never saw from the ten-year-old in the very short time he knew him.

"I didn't think you were one of them." Shou remarked coldly. Natsu didn't say anything as he was too entranced with the different colors of eyes Shou had. Instead of having both eyes a misty blue, his left eye was the same glowing green the demon had with a black symbol in the middle.

"W-why…" Natsu started as his hand tightened around the pommel of the sword. "are you a Demon Master?"

* * *

**Translations:**

_**Kurai Homura**__**—Dark Flame**_


	3. Demon Master

**Hiya! Sorry for the long wait! And kinda short chapter… Thank you for those who reviewed, favorite, and followed! Please leave a review and favorite! Farewell and Enjoy!**

**Me No Own Fairy Tail**

**-Let there be midnight**

* * *

**Demon Master**

Natsu's hand holding the sword dropped to his side as he stared at Shou with disbelief. Shou sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he lent his head upwards towards the black inky sky.

"Yes, indeed I am a Demon Master idiot." Shou said, taking his hand away from his face and staring at Natsu coldly. "And it seems like _you're _a Demon Hunter. Not a nice mix, huh?" he smirked as he put a hand on the Kurai Homura's snout/nose/thingy, facing it so his back was towards Natsu.

"But… why?" Natsu seemed like he couldn't get that Shou was a Demon Master processed in his head correctly.

"Natsu, does it matter?" Gray hissed from behind him, pointing his icy sword at Shou. "He's a Demon Master, either way his fate is sealed by death. There's no way around the contract he made with the Kurai Homura." Natsu ignored him as he shaked all of his thoughts from his mind, stepping towards Shou with sword in front of him.

"Don't you know that… _that _demon is eating away at your soul as we speak?" he asked loudly. "It's getting stronger, and you're just getting weaker! So what's the point in making a contract with the Kurai Homura? And—and not just that! You're a kid nevertheless!" Natsu said shrilly. Shou rolled his eyes even though the pink haired Demon Hunter could not see him as he climbed on top of the pitch black demon's neck, gripping the black fur with two small fists.

"I know, but I think it's no different from life on the streets." Shou replied nonchalantly, ignoring the demon's growls beneath him. The Kurai Homura scratched the roof beneath it with its front claws, much like a horse when they get impatient. "And you're one to talk when you're seven." Shou added, screwing up his nose in responds. Natsu ignored that comment.

"What makes giving your soul to a demon piece by piece no different from living on the streets?" he asked astounded. "You looked fine and very content when I saw you steal that loaf of bread from the market man today. You didn't seem like you needed to be selling your soul!" A low growl emitted from Shou, a high pitch sound when compared to the demon's.

"You know nothing. You have three people to watch over you, a cat, a warm bed and food in your stomach." Shou snapped harshly. "You don't know what it's like!" With Shou's command, the Kurai Homura lurched forward and towards Natsu. The air quickly grew hot around Natsu's sword as flames burst forth, burning a gash in the demon's chest as Natsu swiped at it, the demon shrinking away in pain.

"I might not live on the streets like you do, but it doesn't mean I don't know nothing!" Natsu shouted over the roar of his flaming sword. Catching the eyes of Gray who looked ready to pounce on Shou and his demon any minute now. He saw him nod and jump a roof away, ready to defend Natsu at any given moment that the pinkette needed it.

Shou looked down at Natsu as the demon reared back on his hunches a little, ready to pounce on the little body in front of you.

"Interesting…" Shou muttered, his eyes glowing orange from the light of the flames on the sword. "Ka No Metsuryu Buredo, the Fire Dragon Slayer blade. One of the rarest blades that can kill the dragon type demon, but they disappeared long ago." he said a little louder. Natsu arched an eyebrow at him, eyes darting quickly to his sword.

"How'd you know about it? Thought you lived in the streets?" Natsu asked, looking back up at Shou as the flames on his sword dwindled down a little. The red headed boy straightened up a little.

"The quirk to being a Demon Master is that I can understand what the demons say. And they've been whispering a lot about the Dragon Slayer blade lately." he replied, chest puffed out; proud of the fact he could understand what the demons were talking about.

The flames died out on Natsu's sword, the air around him suddenly turning colder from the disappearance of warmth.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Natsu muttered under his breath, the demon the only one that seemed to hear as he growled low in responds. Without Shou's consent, the Kurai Homura jumped at Natsu with a howl. The Fire Dragon Slayer blade light up and once more the air around him became warm with heat. Natsu rolled to the side just in time to dodge the swipe aimed at his head. He only had time to roll on his back and thrust the blade before him to block the overly large claw.

Show grinned down at him from the demons head, happy at the struggling pinkette trying to get the claw not to slice him open.

"I'm surprised," he remarked. "I didn't think I little kid could survive this long." A tick mark appeared on Natsu's forehead, only for it to disappear as a claw came too close to his chest for his liking.

"Well—I would say the—the same for you, b-but I'm kinda—in a pickle—right now!" Natsu grunted, thrusting his sword as far away from him as he could with all his strength.

It was then that Gray had chosen to intervene, embedding his sword deeply in the side of the Kurai Homura. Ice started to slowly appear around where the blade was in the demon, traveling all the way to its hind leg, making it immobile.

The demon made a high pitch nose, falling sideways and slicing the side of Natsu's abdomen as it did.

The pink haired boy hissed in pain, feeling the familiar stickiness of blood pooling on his skin, but he ignored that—and the pain—as he struggled to his feet. Natsu glared at Gray who took his blade out of the demon.

"What?" he asked, shrugging in mild confusion. "The demon was about to kill you if I didn't do anything." Natsu just rolled his eyes as the hand that didn't hold the sword, clutched at the deep gash in his side. He wished more than anything that he wasn't stuck in the body of a seven-year-old because even if he wasn't really seven, the pain was made to be a lot worse than it was supposed to be which annoyed him greatly.

Shou growled in frustration, hitting the demon's neck in fury at its now handicapped state.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" he screeched. Natsu smiled up at him, Gray coming to stand at his side just in case Shou decided to do something funny and harm the little boy any more than he already was.

Taking deep and heavy breaths, Shou slid off the demon, fist clenched at his side. "I hate you!" he shouted, pointing at the two. Behind him, the ice continued to eat away at the demon who growled in agony, parts off it breaking off.

Natsu shrugged in responds. "Hate us all you want," he said. "But it won't do anything." Shou screamed in responds just as Lucy, Erza, and Happy showed up. The three were about to run towards Natsu and Gray when Gray held up a hand for them to stop, shaking his head. Reluctantly, they took a few steps back and watched the scene with worried eyes.

Shou gasped in surprised when he saw that his hands started to glow, pieces of them disappearing. "What—what's happening?!" he cried in shock, stepping backwards as he stared at his hands with wide eyes.

"You're disappearing." Gray told him softly. Shou looked up at him. "This is what happens to Demon Masters when their demons die or when their demon took all of their soul. They disappear into nothing." Shou looked back down in disbelief.

"No," he whimpered, bottom lip quivering. "I can't disappear! It—it promised me…" Natsu looked at him with curious eyes.

"What did the demon promise you?" he asked as if he was talking to a scared wounded animal. Shou dropped his hands to his side, blinking away tears.

"He promised to make me better…"

"Better?" He nodded, looking up at Natsu and Gray.

"I've gotten sick—not the normal sick with the fever. I started to shake as if I was cold, and gasp for breath even if I was sitting down. It didn't help because I couldn't get the food I needed so I started to starve, getting sicker every day. Then this demon showed up and told me that if I make a contract with it, it would heal me. Once I agreed I felt better, just like I used to." Shou explained, tears running down his cheeks. "I don't want to die! I still have to find him!" He hiccupped slightly.

His hands were gone as the glowing light was slowly traveling up his body, also appearing on other places of his body (stomach, feet, and shoulder).

"Find who?" Natsu asked, taking a step forward. Shou hiccupped, shaking his head.

"My younger brother. He was taken from me when we were younger! I promised to come looking for him! I just can't break my promise! I can't!" Natsu and Gray exchanged glances, both of their chests tightening at Shou's sobs.

"We'll find him Shou, I promise." Gray said. "Just tell us his name and we'll find him." Shou was almost gone by the time Gray said this.

"His—his name's Yukio…" And with that, Shou was gone and so was the demon, leaving all five of the Demon Hunters alone on the roof.

* * *

**Translations:**

_**Kurai Homura—Dark Flame**_

_**Ka No Metsuryu Buredo**__**—Fire Dragon Slayer Blade**_


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